• Deploy reviews monitoring tools (like our in-house reputation management systems) for real-time alerts across platforms.
• Develop processes for tiered response for different types of reviews.
• Do: Graciously accept “praise reviews” and compliment the client.  
• Do: Respond swiftly to “crisis reviews” that represent legal/PR risks or “constructive negative reviews” that have understandable issues.
• Don’t: Rely on automated review response. Use third-party review management as an alert system—and reply with personal response to each inquiry.

Customers spot generic statements instantly. Real and personal responses stand out to old and new customers. Plus, Google rewards response diversity. Be as specific as possible. Refer to comments in each review in your feedback and offer to take any negative feedback off the platform when it makes sense.

For Crisis Reviews: Respond rapidly. Offer transparency and seek legal help if you have any lingering questions.

• We take this report of [incident] extremely seriously. Our team has initiated a full investigation of this issue. For immediate assistance, contact us or follow us on social media for further information. 

For Negative Reviews: Offer empathy and solutions for their perceived issue. Sometimes, a little pushback is okay—especially if the review is way out of line—but we recommend taking ownership and tracking issues to see any patterns. Do not imply retaliation for negative reviews.

• We're deeply sorry that your experience with [specific issue] fell short. [Leadership] will contact you within [timeframe] via [contact method] to resolve this. Your feedback helps us improve–thank you for reviewing.

For blatantly false reviews (sparingly): We take all feedback seriously, but after thorough investigation, no record exists of this experience. We’ve reported this and initiated a full audit. We will update our response upon further review. If you’re a genuine customer: Please contact us directly for immediate resolution.

For Positive Reviews: Go beyond “Thanks!” and give a personal reply.

• Thrilled our [specific feature] solved your [specific pain point]!
• Your mention of [specific detail] made our team's day!
• [Employee] was thrilled by your recognition.
  

Video reviews convert 3x higher than text. Photos also add social currency and value to reviews. We recommend that you make use of any user-generated content a client may provide. Showcase user video reviews on product pages—consumers spend longer on sites with real-user videos.

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) is the US arbiter for laws and regulations regarding online reviews and testimonials. It’s important to follow their latest guidelines to stay in compliance. Even small businesses may face fines up to $3 million dollars for deceptive reviews practices.

The FTC’s Consumer Review Fairness Act (CRFA) bans silencing honest feedback, seizing review rights, or cherry-picking happy customers. Remove only truly fraudulent reviews (hate speech, fake claims, employee retribution) with documented proof—never just negative ones. At Creekmore Marketing, we bake compliance into each review response strategy.

Many businesses see AI Search Overviews (AIO) that summarize their reviews—often inaccurately. They may even attribute other business reviews to you, or vise-versa. Some businesses also fraudulently use AI to generate reviews—a practice the FTC disapproves.

• Red Flags: Generic phrasing, sudden review spikes, or profiles with no history.
• Fight Back: Report positive or negative reviews to platforms immediately.
• Encourage detailed, keyword-rich positive reviews that mention your services or location and include photo or video.
  

At Creekmore Marketing, we’re your local marketing experts. We offer reputation management services, graphic design, SEO and PPC services, and so much more to take the difficult and specialty marketing tasks off your hands.

What’s your biggest challenge in responding to reviews? Let us know! Book a free consultation today to learn how we can help your business grow with dedicated efforts from our team of over 50 professional marketers!